9781422274606

Davis was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) in 2012 with the first pick overall. The faith that New Orleans placed in Davis paid off. Beginning with his rookie season (in which he was a member of the All-Rookie team), Davis led the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans in win-shares, which is a mathematical measurement of how much a player contributes to the team’s success. His strong win-shares helped him be selected to eight NBA All-Star games (six with New Orleans and two as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers) and four All-NBA First Teams. Not only has Davis been recognized for his offensive skills (leading the league three times in two-point field goals) but also for his skills on the defensive side of the ball. He has long arms (a fingertip-to-fingertip wingspan of 7 feet 5-½ inches or 2.27 m) that enable him to block shots and intimidate shooters looking for an easy layup or short-range jumper. Davis is a shooting guard/small forward packaged in the body of a power forward/center. Davis was a successful high school star who quickly grew big and tall, capturing the attention of college scouts at several great programs. He played on a college team packed with stars that captured the NCAA Men’s Basketball title in 2012 and sent six of its players to the NBA. Davis emerged as the dominant force of that group and now dominates at the NBA level. Davis is an important player for the Los Angeles Lakers (New Orleans traded him to L.A. prior to the start of the 2019 season). The future holds great things as he has continued to improve on both sides of the ball. Davis has emerged among the elite players in the NBA and will stand tall among the best when his career comes to an end.

9

Chapter 1: Greatest Moments